Star wheel and means for setting same



May 16, 1967 M. PHILIP 3,319,489

STAR WHEEL AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAME Original Filed April 20, 1962 4 s s 1 mun-.

INVENTOR BY r ATTORNEYS May 16; 1967 M. PHILIP 3,319,489

STAR WHEEL AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAME Original Filed April 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR BY W M ATTORNEYS May 16, 1967 M. PHILIP 3,319,489

STAR WHEEL AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAME Original Filed April 20, 1962 4 Sheets sheet 5 za .j, 43 42 44 INVENTOR l6 BY ATTORNEYS May 16, 1967 M. PHILIP 1 3,

STAR WHEEL AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAME orlglnal F'lled Aprll 20, 1962 4 sheets sheet 4 INVENTOR W3 BY r ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,3l9j489 Patented May 16, 1967 3,319,439 STAR WHEEL AND MEANS FOR SETTING SAME Morris Philip, 2519 Grand Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10468 Original application Apr. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 189,125, new Patent No. 3,147,605, dated Sept. 8, 1964. Divided and this application June 12, 1964, Ser. No. 374,564

9 Claims. (Cl. 74660) This invention relates to star wheels and method of setting same. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system for automatically resetting the star wheel. Preferably the star wheel is used on a knitting machine.

This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 189,125, filed Apr. 20, 1962, now US. Patent No. 3,147,605.

Star wheels are frequently used in knitting machines to effect changes in the operation of the machine by stepwise rotating the star wheel. For example, a stitch tightener may be provided at each knitting station for adjusting the draw of the needle to vary the length of the stitch, each step, or partial rotation, of the star wheel effecting a change in the stitch tightener, with the stitch tightener being returned to its starting position at a compiete revolution of the star wheel.

Occasionally, the star wheel may be inadvertently rotated, so as to throw the star wheel out of its cycle. This aspect of the present invention provides means for automatically resetting the star wheel or insuring that the star wheel is properly reset.

According to this aspect of the present invention, there is provided a star wheel mounted for rotation about its axis, at least two circumferentially spaced lugs on said star wheel, one of said lugs having a first dimension and the other of said lugs having a second dimension, tripper means for selectively partially rotating said wheel, and means for causing relative movement between said star wheel and said tn'pper means, so that said star wheel repeatedly passes said tripper means with one of its lugs traversing the tripper means, said tripper means partially rotating said star wheel when said tripper means contacts a traversing lug during said movement, said tripper means having at least two positions, in one of said positions said tn'pper means contacting a traversing lug having said first or second dimension and in another position contacting only an interposed lug having said second dimension.

In an illustrated, exemplary embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the star wheel has a plurality of radially extending lugs, one of said lugs being axially shorter than the other lugs. The tripper member may be actuated by a control mechanism such as that described and claimed in said copending application Ser. No. 189,125, and also described herein. The tripper member in the illustrated embodiment is'movable between three positions. In one of said positions, ing ing; in the other of said positions, the tripper member contacts only a traversing lug having a greater dimension; and in the third position, the tripper member does not contact any traversing lug.

When this mechanism is operated, each time the star wheel is to be partially rotated, the tripper member is moved into position where it contacts any traversing lug to cause the star wheel to rotate a step. When, during the cycle of the machine, the star wheel is to be reset to its starting position, the tripper member is moved to the position where it contacts only the axially longer lugs but not the axially shorter lug, and with the tripper member in this position, the machine is rotated, so that the star Wheel passes the tripper member a number of times at least equal to one less than the number of lugs on the star wheel. As soon as the wheel is brought to the position where the shorter lug traverses the tripper member,

the tripper member contacts any traversthe star wheel will no longer rotate and will remain set in this position. In this way, all the star wheels on the machine can be reset to their starting position.

These and other aspects and objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary top elevation of a circular knitting machine of the type wherein the needle banks are stationary and the knitting cams rotate;

FIG. 2 shows a fragmentary vertical elevation, partially in section, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; this figure shows the counter chain in the position causing the pawl to rotate the counter chain;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical elevation corresponding to that of FIG. 2, but showing the counter chain in the position wherein the pawl does not cause rotation of the counter chain;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical elevation corresponding to FIG. 4, with the counter chain in the same position, but with the counter on the turntable causing rotation of the counter chain;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a portion of a knitting machine showing a star wheel and the lever means for rotating said wheel; in this figure, the tripper member is positioned so that the star wheel is not rotated;

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 6 and shows the tripper member moved to osition where it will contact all the lugs of the star Wheel, except one, to achieve resetting of the star wheel;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 and shows the tripper member in position where it will contact any ing of the star wheel to effect partial rotation of the star wheel;

FIGS. 9, l0 and 11 are diagrammatical views illustrating how relative movement between the tripper member and the star wheel partially rotates the star wheel;

FIG. 12 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the star wheel; in this embodiment, one of the lugs of the star wheel is radially shorter than the other lugs;

FIG. 13 is a view of a third embodiment of a star wheel and shows the lugs on a front face thereof.

Before describing the subject matter claimed herein there will be described the control mechanism with which the present invention is used. The control mechanism is also described and claimed in said copending application Ser. No. 189,125.

In the drawings, there is no figure which shows a circular knitting machine in its entirely. Such complete circular knitting machines are well known in the art and, therefore, in order to avoid undue complication in the drawings, there are only shown, in diagrammatic form, those portions of the machine with which the present invention is directly concerned.

As is well known, circular knitting machines comprise two general types. In one type of machine, namely, the cam-rotating type, needle bed or beds are stationary while the yarn-feeds and knitting cams rotate. In the other type of machine,-namely, the needle-rotating type, the yarnfeeds and knitting cams are stationary while the needle bed or beds rotate. In each type of machine there is relative rotation between the needles and the knitting cams. Although the present invention is applicable to both types of machines, the invention will be particularly described in connection with the cam-rotating type of multifeed circular knitting machines.

It will be further appreciated that both types of machines may have only one needle bank, which is generally a cylinder bank, or may have two needle banks, namely, a cylinder bank and a dial bank. The instant invention is 43 not directly concerned with the operation of the needles. Therefore, these have not been illustrated nor described.

Furthermore,-the dial bank and its associated cams and other parts have been omitted, the drawings merely diagrarnatically showing a portion of the cylinder cam ring.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, the machine comprises a stationary frame (not shown) which supports a stationary annulus 19, within which there is rotatably mounted the turntable 11. On the turntable 11, there is mounted, for movement therewith, the cylinder cam ring 12, which includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart cylinder knitting cam sections, only two cam sections 13A and 1313, being shown. It will be understood that each cam section has associated therewith a yarn-feed (not shown), so that each cam section is considered a knitting station. Byway of example, a machine of the type illustrated employs twenty knitting stations, i.e., twenty knitting cams and their associated yarn-feeds. The machine is of the stationary needle, rotating-cam type, and the turntable is rotated in the direction of arrow 11A by the main machine drive (not shown). The needles. (not shown) do not rotate.

A support 14 is secured to the stationary annulus by means of bolts 15, support 14 providing the support for the control mechanism. The pattern-control mechanism comprises a drum 16 fixedly mounted on shaft 17 for rotation therewith. Shaft 17 is rotatably journalled in support 14. 7

On shaft 17, between support 14 and drum 16, there is fixedly mounted a ratchet wheel 18 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart ratchet teeth 19 around its periphery.

A pawl drive shaft 20 is rotatably supported by support 14, said shaft 20 being driven through gears in gear box 21, diagrammatically shown, which, in turn, are driven by the main machine drive (not shown) of the machine. A circular disc 22 is eccentrically mounted on pawl. drive shaft 20. A pawl 23 is provided at its forward end with a pawl tooth 24 and, at its opposite end, with a large opening 25 for receiving disc 22, the plane of disc 22 lying substantially in the plane of pawl 23.

Disc 22 is fitted within opening 25, so that there will be some frictional engagement between the outer periphery of disc 22 and the inner wall of opening 25, the frictional engagement being sufficient to normally cause pawl 23 to rotate with disc 22, but not sufficiently to prevent relative rotation between disc 22 and pawl 23 if the rotation of pawl 23 is impeded. The gears in gear box 21 are so selected that pawl drive shaft 20 will rotate in the direction of arrow 26 once each time a different knitting cam section passes a given point on the machine. As shaft 20 rotates, disc 22 will rotate therewith in the same direction.

Pawl 23 is not free to rotate continuously with disc 22, as will be hereinafter described, and pawl 23 is, therefore, generally maintained in its angular position as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. Therefore, as disc 22 rotates, because of its eccentric mounting, disc 22 will cause reciprocation of pawl 23 in the direction of the double arrow 27. The pawl 23makes one complete reciprocation, i.e., it moves from right to left (as viewed in FIG. 2) and back to right, each time a knitting cam section passes a given point in the machine. In other words, for a twenty-feed machine,

the pawl will reciprocate twentytimes during one rotation of the turntable 11, the reciprocation of the pawl being in timed relation to the rotation of the turntable.

With the elements of the machine in the position shown in FIG. 2, reciprocation of the pawl 23 would permit its tooth 24 to contact one of the teeth 19 of the ratchet wheel 18 each time the pawl 23 reciprocates. Each reciprocation of the pawl would, therefore, rotate ratchet wheel 18 at an angular distance equal to the space between adjacent teeth 19 of the ratchet wheel 18.

According to one of the features of the invention, means are provided for selectively stepwise rotating the ratchet wheel in timed relation to the rotation of said turntable and,.therefore, in timed relation tothe rotation of the-rotating knitting stations. Stated differently, means are provided to permit engagement between the pawl 23 and the ratchet wheel 18 at certain times during the rotation of the turntable and to prevent engagement at other times. If this means were not provided, and the pawl engaged the ratchet wheel each time the pawl reciprocated, the ratchet wheel would be stepwise, or partially, rotated twenty times during each revolution of the turntable in a twenty-feed machine.

' This means will not be described. On support 14 there is mounted an outwardly extending shaft 28, and one end 33 of each of levers 29, 30, 31 and 32 is journalled about shaft 28. Each of levers 29 through 32 extends laterally beyond drum 16 and is superposed thereover, so that the free end of each lever is on the other side of the drum from end 33. Each of levers 29 through 32 is provided with a downwardly depending sensing stud 34, said stud being p0- sitioned over the drum 16.

Mounted around the periphery of the drum 16 are a plurality of endless pattern chains 35, 36, 37 and 38, one pattern chain being positioned under each lever, so that pattern chain 35 is mounted under its corresponding lever 29, pattern chain 36 is mounted under its corresponding lever 30, etc. The pattern chains are mounted about the drum in any conventional manner, the drum having circumferentially spacedapart guides, or sprockets, 39 about its periphery, so that the chains rotate with the drum 16. The structure of pattern chains is well known in the art and need not be described further herein, except to point out that each chain, for example, comprises a plurality of links of different heights, such as high link 40 and low link 41. Each time the drum. 16 rotates an angular distance equal to the spacing between the teeth of the ratchet wheel 18, another link is positioned under the sensing stud 34 of the appropriate lever.

A pintle 42 extends outwardly from support 14, and a pawl-control lever 43 is pivotally mounted about said pintle 42, so that said lever 43 can pivot in a plane generally parallel to that of pawl 23. One end of a tension spring 44 is secured to end 45 of lever 43-, with the other end 46 of spring 44 being secured tosupport 14. Lever 43 is generally L-shaped and has a horizontal branch 47 and an upwardly extending branch 48. Because of tension spring 44, the crock 49 of lever 43 and the upwardly extending branch 48 are normally biased upwardly.

The outwardly extending stud is mounted on pawl 23 between its tooth 24 and the opening I25, said stud .50

extending outwardly sufficient to be superposed over branch 47 and adjacent the crook 49 of lever 43.

Lever 43 pivots in a generally vertical plane between an upper position, as shown in FIG. 4, and a lower position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the spring 44 normally maintaining the lever 43 in the upper position, as

shown in FlG. 4. When the lever 43 is in the lower position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the pawl 23, during its reciprocation, will contact a tooth 19 of the ratchet wheel 18 to cause partial rotation thereof.

On the other hand, when lever 43 is in the upper position as shown in FIG. 4, the pawl 23 will not engage a tooth 19 of the ratchet wheel 18 as the pawl reciprocates. This is due to the fact that stud 50 of the pawl 23 rests on branch 47 of lever 43, so that, when branch 47 is raised, stud 50 will be raised, and the raising of stud 50 causes elevation of pawl 23 to the position shown in FIG. 4. This engagement between the stud 50 and branch 47 limits downward movement of the pawl 23.. Therefore, when lever 43 is in the upper position, stud 50 and pawl 23 are also in the upper position, the latter having been raised sufliciently so that the tooth 24 of the pawl 23 will not engage any teeth of the ratchet wheel 18.

On the stationary annulus 11} there is mounted a vertical bracket 51 (see FIGS. 1 and 3), and a horizontal lever 52 is pivotally mounted between its ends on bracket 51. One end of horizontal lever 52 is pivotally secured to the upper end of branch 48 of lever 43, and on the;

other end of lever 52 there is mounted a roller 53, said roller overlying the turntable 11. Roller 53 is vertically movable between an upper position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, and a lower position, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Vertical movement of roller 53 pivots lever 52 and, conversely, pivotal movement of lever 52 causes corresponding movement of roller 53. When lever 43 is in the upper position, roller 53 is in the lower position, and, when lever 43 is in the lower position, roller 53 is in the upper position. lever 43 is in the upper position and roller 53 is in the lower position.

Means are provided for selectively raising roller 53 during rotation of the turntable -11. This means is constituted by a counter, or cam, 54, fixedly mounted on the turntable. Periodically, the rotation of the turntable will position cam 54 beneath roller 53 to elevate the roller. Elevation of the roller 53, in turn, causes lowering of the outward end of lever 52 which, in turn, causes lowering of branch 48 of lever 43. Therefore, when cam 54 passes under roller 53, lever 43 is brought to its lower position, thereby permitting pawl 23 to engage a tooth of ratchet wheel 18.

Lever 29, at its free end 55, is provided with an inwardly extending, horizontal portion 56, the extremity 57 of which is turned upwardly and is located immediately under the end 45 of lever 43. When a high link 40 is positioned under sensing stud 34 of lever 29, the free end 55 of lever is elevated, causing the extremity 57 to contact and elevate end 45 of lever 43. This movement, in turn, lowers branch 47 of lever 43 to permit the pawl to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 18. This position of the elements is shown in FIG. 2. Although FIG. 2 also shows counter 54 under roller 53, a high link 40 in counter chain 35 will always position lever 29, lever 43, and pawl 23 as shown in FIG. 2 even when counter 54 is not under roller 53.

On the other hand, when a low link 41 is positioned under sensing stud 34, lever 29 is in the low position as shown in FIG. 4 and out of engagement with end 45 of lever 43, so that the action of spring 44 can move lever 43 to the upper position whereby the pawl 23 cannot engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 18.

The purpose and operation of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 will now be described. As is well known in the art, multifeed circular knitting machines of the type broadly described, as well as other knitting machines, frequently have their operations controlled by endless pattern chains. One of the pattern chains is called the counter chain, and, in the instant description, chain 35 is the counter chain. This chain controls the movement of the other chains, hereinafter called the pattern-control chains. The number of pattern-control chains is a matter of choice, depending upon the complexity of the machine, as well as upon the complexity of the knitting operation. In the illustrated embodiment there are shown three pattern-control chains 36, 37 and 38, by way of example, although it will be appreciated that in actual practice there may be more or less patterncontrol chains.

All of the chains are equipped with links of various heights, two or more heights in number. For the sake of simplicity, only two heights will be considered, namely, high links and low links. The links of each chain effect the movement of a lever associated with the chain in a manner similar to that described in connection with lever 29. The movement of the lever, in turn, effects the appropriate changes in the machine mechanism.

Pattern-control chains 36, 37 and 38 are all mounted on drum 16 and, therefore, all the pattern-control chains move together. Because chains 36, 37 and 38 move together, only the movement and control of chain 36 will be discussed. This discussion will be described in connection with a machine which has twenty knitting stations, i.e., twenty knitting cam sections, each section having as- Norrnally, because of spring 44,

sociated therewith one yarn-feed. The pattern-control chain 36 will have thereon, for example, high links and low links in the appropriate order to produce the desired knitting pattern, the high link corresponding to a first type of stitch and the low link corresponding to a second .type of stitch.

As will be described hereinafter, there is mounted on a nonrotating part of the machine a knitting cam changing means, as exemplified by cam plate 88 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) for producing changes at the knitting stations as they successively pass the changing means, the changing means being controlled by the pattern-control chains.

The machine is timed so that sensing of a link by its sensing stud adjusts the changing means prior to the time a knitting station passes the changing means and so that the pawlin its lower position, will rotate the ratchet wheel one step immediately after the knitting station passes the changing means to bring the next link into position under the sensing stud for adjustment of the changing means prior to the passage of the next knitting station.

As stated previously, when a high link in counter chain 35 is positioned under stud 34 of lever 29, the pawl 23 will engage the ratchet wheel 18 to rotate the ratchet wheel one step in the direction shown by arrow 18A. If there are twenty successive high links on counter chain 35, then each of twenty successive reciprocations of the pawl will rotate the ratchet wheel 18 one step, for a total of twenty steps. Each time the ratchet wheel 18 turns one step, the drum 16 also turns one step. Therefore, each of twenty successive links of pattern-control chain '36 will successively move into the sensing position under the sensing stud of lever 30 to cause movement of lever 30 in accordance with the height of each successive link.

If it is desired to have twenty successive links on pattern-control chain 36 sense-d by its sensing stud in one revolution of the turntable, counter chain 35 is provided with twenty successive high links. The position of the first of these high links is correlated to the first knitting station, that is, the position is such that it will be sensed before the first knitting station passes the changing means but after the last station has passed the changing means.

Therefore, since the machine has twenty knitting stations, the twenty successive high links on counter chain 35 will be successively sensed during one revolution of the turntable to cause the pattern-control chain to move twenty links during one revolution of the turntable. FIG. 2 shows the mechanism in the position of sensing the last high link 40 of the twenty successive high links on the counter chain. At this point, counter 54 is under the roller 53, since the counter is mounted on the turntable at a position correlated with the last knitting sta-- tion to raise roller 53 and permit the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel after the last knitting station has passed the changing means.

Since the counter 54 is under the roller 53, the next reciprocation of the pawl will cause rotation of the counter chain. A high link, as shown in FIG. 2, also causes the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, but at the last knitting station the counter always causes the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, whether the link on the counter chain is a high link or a low link.

As the turntable continues its rotation past the point shown in FIG. 2, the last knitting station 13B passes cam plate 88 of the changing means and the pawl turns the ratchet wheel to move next link 41 into the sensing position prior to the passage of the first knitting station 13A past the changing means. This position is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the counter 54 has passed roller 53 and link 41 is under sensing stud 34.

Now, let us assume that no further changes are to be effected in the pattern mechanism for the next four revolutions of the turntable. The chain 35 is therefore provided with four successive low links 41, 70, 71 and 72 immediately following the high link 40.

Disregarding, for a moment, the presence of cam 54, it

will be appreciated that, when low link 41 of counter chain 35 is positioned under sensing stud 34, pawl 23 would continue to reciprocate but never engage a tooth of ratchet wheel 18, while the turntable continues its rotation. The whole control mechanism would be at a standstill. However, counter 54, rotatable with the turntable, prevents this cessation of operations when counter 54 passes under roller 53, in this case, after the turntable has completed one revolution. As soon as counter 54 passes under roller 53 so that the mechanism is in the position shown in FIG. 5, reciprocation of pawl 23 will cause the pawl to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 18 and turn the ratchet wheel one step to present under the sensing stud 34 thelink following low link 41, which is low link 70 in the instant example. The turntable continues rotating, the pawl continues reciprocating, but the pawl cannot engage the ratchet wheel because low link 70 is under sensing stud 34, and, therefore, lever 43 is in the upper position. The ratchet wheel, the counter chain 35, and the pattern-control chain 36 remain stationary for. another revolution of the turntable until the counter 54 again passes under roller 53. At this point, pawl 23 again causes the ratchet wheel to rotate one step to position next low link 71 under sensing stud 34. The turntable makes another revolution, counter 54 again passes under roller 53, and next low link 72 is positioned under sensing stud 34. The turntable now makes a fourth revolution, and this time, when counter 54 passes under roller 53, high link 73, which follows low link 72, is positioned under sensing stud 34. This raises lever 29 and lowers lever 43, so that the pawl, in its reciprocation, will rotate the ratchet wheel. The operation of the machine continues as described above, depending upon the nature of the links following high link 73.

Itwill be appreciated that pattern-control chain 36 only rotates when counter chain 35 rotates and the selection of the links on pattern-control chain 36 controls the actual knitting pattern. When counter chain 35 is not rotating during a revolution of the turntable, pattern-control chain 36 also is not rotating, and pattern-control chain 36 does not produce different changes in the knitting stations.

In the above description, cam 54 is fixed to the turntable, and, each time cam 54 passes under roller 53, the ratchet wheel 18 is turned a step. Referring to the portion of the cycle wherein the hereinbefore-mentioned twenty successive high links on counter chain 35 are succesively passing through their sensing positions, assume that, inadvertently, the person operating the machine, or machine failure, causes ratchet Wheel 18 to move two steps during one reciprocation of pawl 23; this error will cause the twentieth high link to effect a change at the nineteenth knitting stat-ion, rather than at the twentieth knitting station. This would destroy the pattern knit in this revolution of the machine. Nevertheless, counter 54, since it is fixed to, and therefore permanently in time with, the turntable, will automatically bring the machine back into cycle for following revolutions.

In the prior art, this could not automatically be accomplished. Counter chains and pattern-control chains have been used in the prior art, and their function is well understood. However, in the prior art, the movement of the counter chain was controlled by one, or more, auxiliary drums which, in turn, were also moved through pawl and ratchet arrangements. In order to maintain the proper cycle of the machine, the auxiliary drums had to be carefully timed, with the main drum supporting the main pattern chains. Frequently, these drums would get out of timing, so that the machine would be thrown out of cycle and would stay out of cycle until corrected by the person operating the machine. According to the present invention, however, the cycle of the counter chain is controlled by means of cam 54, which is fixed to the turntable 11 and always moves with the turntable. Cam 54, therefore, cannot fall out of cycle.

It will be appreciated that, once a low link of counter chain 35 comes into the sensing position under sensing stud 34, the drum and the pattern-control chains mounted thereon, as well as the counter chain, cease rotation no matter where the turntable is positioned in its rotational cycle. The chains remain stationary until counter 54 passes under roller 53.

The manner in which the levers 30, 31 and 32 efiect the changes in the operation of the machine has been diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a detailed descripition not being necessary because such structure is well known in the art. In FIG. 2, the means associated with lever 3'3 for changing knitting patterns has been shown in phantom. A vertical bracket is secured to support 14, and bracket 80 is provided with two horizontal guide rings 81 and 82, which vertically guide a rod 83, the lower end 84 of rod 83 resting upon the free end 85 of lever 30. A collar 36 is secured to rod 83 beneath guide ring 81, and a compression spring 87 is mounted between collar 86 and guide ring 81 to bias rod 83 downwardly toward end 85 of lever 30. At the upper end of rod 83, there is fixedly secured a cam lever, or cam plate, 88, having a camming surface 89.

The cylinder cam ring 12 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart knitting cam sections, only two sections, namely, sections 13A and 13B being diagrammatically shown. Cam section 13A constitutes the first knitting station, and cam section 13B constitutes the last knitting station.

Projecting outwardly from each knitting cam section are levers 91 and 92, lever 91 being positioned above lever- 92. When lever 39 is in the low position, as when a low link of chain 36 is under the sensing stud of lever 30, cam plate 88 is at such a height that its camming surface 89 will engage lever 92 on the knitting cam section which passes camming surface 89 during the rotation of the turntable 11. When camming surface 89 engages lever 92, the latter will be urged inwardly to effect an actual change in the knitting cam.

When a high link in chain 36 is positioned under the sensing stud of lever 34), lever 30 will be elevated to in turn elevate rod 83 and cam plate 88 to an upper position, at which position the camming surface 89 will be at the level of lever 91, so that lever 91 will be actuated when a knitting cam section passes the camming surface 89.

The manner in which levers 91 and 92 effect changes in the cams in the knitting carn sections is well known. It is therefore not considered necessary to illustrate or discuss the internal structure of the cam sections. It is further not considered necessary, with one exception (chain 37 and lever 31), to discuss in detail the purpose or structure of any of the other pattern-control chains or the mechanisms which they operate, since these are also conventional in the art. It will be appreciated that, although the pattern chains have been described as being comprised of only high and low links, in many instances more than two sizes of links can be used. This is also conventional. In the illustrated, exemplary embodiment, pattern-control chain 36 .produces a change in the knitting cams. Pattern-control chains can also be used to control the speed or rotation of the turntable, the severing or addition of yarn, stitch tighteners, etc. In the illustrated, exemplary embodiment, cam plate 88 does not rotate, while the knitting stations do rotate; and, when cam plate 88 is moved to a particular elevation, such as shown in FIG. 2, or cam plate 88 is at a level with lever 91, each knitting station passing thereby will have its lever 91 actuated by camming surface 89. If each pattern-control chain has twenty successive links of the same height and if each link is moved under the sensing stud each time the pawl 23 reciprocates, the position of camming surface 89 will not change, and all the knitting stations will be acted on by camming surface 89 in a similar manner. The same effect will be obtained if pattern-control chain 36 is stationary during a complete revolution of the tumtable. On the-other hand, if, for example, cam plate 88 is to be moved to the upper position as one knitting station passes thereby and then to the lower positionv as the next knitting station passes thereby, etc., the links of pattern-control chain 36 will alternately be high and low, and pattern-control chain 36 would have to rotate each time the pawl 23 reoiprocates. would require a succession of high links on the counter chain.

It is frequently desirable to effect changes only in some knitting stations and not in other knitting stations. For example, if changes are to be made only in the first five knitting stations and no changes are to be made in the remaining fifteen knitting stations, counter chain 35 would be provided with five successive high links, to take care of the changes in the first five knitting stations, followed by a low link. As soon as the fifth high link passes sensing stud 34, the low link will be positioned thereunder, and the counter chain and the pattern-control chain would cease rotation until fifteen additional knitting stations have passed by plate 88. At that time, since counter 54 is correlated to the last knitting station, as previously described, the counter 54 passes under roller 53 to cause the counter chain to move to the next link. The counter always causes the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel at the completion of a revolution.

The apparatus above described for controlling the operation of the knitting machine is claimed in application Ser. No. 189,125, above referred to. The star wheel system which forms the subject matter of the present invention may be used, by way of example, with a knitting machine control as hereinbefore described. Lever 31 and its affiliated mechanisms are used to actuate a star wheel.

Frequently, the control mechanism, instead of pushing levers such as lever 91, causes rotation of a control element in the machine. Such a control element, which is actuated by rotation, may, for example, be a stitch tightener. A mechanism using a rotatable star wheel to produce changes in knitting cams is shown in United States Patent No. 2,743,595.

The present invention will be described in connection with a stitch tightener (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 6-13). Such stitch tighteners, diagrammatically shown at 100, are well known in the art and need not be described in detail, except to state that they are operated by rotating a shaft, such as shaft 101. On shaft 101, there is mounted, for rotation therewith, a star wheel 102, which is provided with a hub 120 having thereon a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart radial arms or lugs I03, 104, 105 and 106.

The star wheel 102 is rotatable through four positions, each one spaced apart ninety degrees from the other. Each partial rotation, or step, of the star wheel produces a change in the knitting mechanism to change the distance that the needles are drawn back during the knitting operation, so as to produce a stitch of different degrees of tightness, one degree of tightness being represented by each angular position of the star wheel. A stitch tightener 100 and its corresponding star wheel is provided for each knitting cam section. Associated with lever 31 is a vertical rod 107, which is supported in substantially the same manner as is rod 83 and, therefore, need not be described further, except to state that rod 107 moves up and down in a vertical direction, as indicated by arrow 108 (FIG. 6), together with the up-and-down movement of the free extremity of lever 31.

A bracket 109 pivotally supports bell crank lever 110 at its bend 11. Bell crank lever 110 has a horizontal arm 112 and a vertical arm 113, the free end 114 of horizontal arm 112 being pivotally secured to the upper end 115 of rod 107. The free end 116 of vertical arm 113 is pivotally secured to one end 117 of a horizontal rod or tripper member 118 slidably mounted in bracket 119 secured to stationary annulus 10.

When lever 31 is moved upwardly, bell crank lever 110 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow 130 to move tripper 118 inwardly toward star wheel 102. In this embodiment of the invention, pattern-control chain 37 is provided with links of three heights (not shown), namely, low links, intermediate links, and high links. When a low link is being sensed by the sensing stud of'pattern-control chain 37, rod 107 is in its lowermost position and tripper 118 is in its outermost position away from the star wheel 102, as shown in FIG. 6. When an intermediate link on pattern-control chain 37 is being sensed, rod 107 is elevated to an intermediate position and tripper 118 is moved inwardly to an intermediate position, extending partly under the hub 120, as shown in FIG. 7. When a high link on pattern-control chain 37 is being sensed, rod 107 is in its uppermost position and tripper 118 is in its innermost position, extending further under the hub 120, as shown in FIG. 8.

It will be appreciated that the tripper 118 does not rotate, but the knitting stations, and therefore the star wheels associated with each knitting station, revolve with the turntable 11, so that each star wheel repeatedly passes the tripper 118 as the turntable 11 rotates. As a star wheel passes the tripper, the star wheel has one of its lugs so positioned that it traverses the tripper and, if the tripper is in the position shown in FIG. 8, the lug which traverses the tripper will contact the tripper. Relative movement between the star wheel and the tripper causes the tripper to partially rotate the star wheel about its axis. This is illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. In these figures, tripper 118 is stationary and extends under the star wheel, as shown in FIG. 8. The star wheel moves in the direction indicated by arrow 121, lug 106 of the star wheel being in position to traverse the tripper. FIG. 9 shows the tripper and lug 106 immediately before the lug 106 contacts tripper 118. As the star wheel continues its movement in the direction of arrow 121, lug 106 contacts tripper 118, and their relative movement causes the star wheel to partially rotate in the direction indicated by arrow 122, as shown in FIG. 10. The star wheel continues moving in the direction indicated by arrow 121 until the star wheel has rotated ninety degrees, so that lug 106, as shown in FIG. 11, has been rotating ninety degrees from its starting position in FIG. 9, and lug 103 of the star wheel is now pointing downwardly, so that next time the star wheel passes tripper 113, lug 103 will traverse, and be contacted by tripper 118 to cause further ninety-degree rotation. The star wheel may be provided with a clicker (not shown) to limit rotation to ninety degrees each time it is partially rotated by the tripper.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the star wheel is provided with four lugs, but it will be appreciated that the star wheel can have any number of lugs in excess of one. The tripper rotates the star wheel through an angular distance equal to three hundred and sixty degrees divided by the number of lugs.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 6, 7 and 8, it will be noted that lug 106 has a smaller dimension axially of the shaft 101 than the other lugs 103, 104, and 105. In other words, lug 106 is so dimensioned that its forwardmost surface 123 is positioned inwardly relative to the forwardmost surface 134 of the other lugs.

Referring to FIG. 7, it will be noted that, in the intermediate position, tripper 118 extends inwardly, so that the extremity 125 thereof is outwardly spaced away from the surface 123 of lug 106. Therefore, when tripper 118 is in the intermediate position and lug 106 traverses the tripper, the tripper will not contact lug 106 and star wheel 102 will not be rotated. However, in the intermediate position, the forward extremity 125 of tripper 118 extends inwardly sufliciently to contact lugs 103, 104 or when one of these lugs traverses the tripper. In its outermost position, the forward extremity of tripper 118 does not extend under the star wheel and, therefore, will not contact any lug of the star wheel when such lug traverses the tripper.

From the above description, it will be appreciated .1 that, in one position, the outermost position, the tripper cannot cause rotation of the star Wheel; in another position, the innermost position, the tripper will cause rotation of the star wheel no matter which lug traverses the tripper; and, in still another position, the intermediate position, the tripper will cause partial, or stepwise, rotation of the star wheel only when the lugs of greater dimension, such as lugs 103, 104 and 105, traverse the tripper, but not when the lug 106, of lesser dimension, traverses the tripper. The provision of a lug of lesser dimension, such as long 106, provides the means for automatically resetting the star wheel to a predetermined position.

During the operation of the machine at certain cycles, it is not necessary to rotate the star wheel and, at such times, the tripper is maintained in the outermost position by the proper selection of links on pattern-control chain 37. When it is desired to rotate the star wheel ninety degrees to produce a first change in the stitch tightener, a high link on pattern-control chain 37 causes movement of tripper 118 to the position shown in FIG. 8, so that tripper 118 will contact interposed lug 106. A further partial rotation of the star wheel is effected by again providing a high link on pattern-control chain 37, so that tripper 118 will now contact traversing lug 103. This process is continued until the star wheel completes a revolution, at which time lug 106 would normally be the lowermost lug in position to start a new cycle.

Let us assume that the machine is being used to knit sweater bodies, with the stitch tightener going through four positions during the course of knitting the body. It is desired that the stitch tightener always be at its starting position a the start of each body. Through machine failure or improper manipulations by the machine operator, the star wheel may accidentally get out of cycle during the knitting of a particular sweater body. It is necessary to restore the star wheel to its cycle for the next sweater body. This is accomplished automatically by the utilization of the narrower lug 106. At the completion of a sweater body and before the start of the next sweater body, the tripper is moved to its intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 7, by providing, at this point, a link of intermediate height on the pattern-control chain 37. The turntable is permitted to rotate three times, with the tripper in the intermediate position. If the star wheel, at the commencement of this operation, has lug 106 in the lowermost position, the tripper will not contact lug 106 as lug 106 traverses the tripper, and the star wheel will not rotate, since it is in the starting position. I f, for example, the star wheel has inadvertently been turned out of cycle, so that one of the other lugs traverses the tripper, the tripper will rotate the star wheel ninety degrees each time one of the lugs of greater dimension traverses the tripper. At the end of three revolutions, the star wheel will, of necessity, be automatically.

brought back to its starting position.

This mechanism can also be used when there is provided a stitch tightener having four positions but only two, for example, are utilized during'the process of knitting a sweater body. In this case, at the completion of a sweater body, the tripper is again moved to the intermediate position and maintained there for a sufficient number of revolutions to bring back the start wheel to the starting position.

Instead of using a star wheel having a lug 106, which is shorter in an axial dimension, there can be used a star wheel having other configurations for producing the same eflect. For example, referring to FIG. 12, star wheel 102A may be provided with a lug 106A, which is shorter in a radial dimension than the remaining lugs. In this case, the tripper, instead of moving inwardly and outwardly in a direction generally parallel to the axis of shaft 101, would be moved in a direction generally transverse to the axis of shaft 101 by appropriate means (not shown) similar to that described for moving cam plate 88. The three vertical positions of tripper 118 are diagrammatically shown in FIG. 12, wherein 118A shows a position when the tripper contacts any traversing lug, 1133 shows the tripper in the intermediate position contacting all the lugs but the short lug 106A, and 118C shows the position wherein the tripper does not contact any traversing lug. The double-ended arrow 126 shows the direction of movement of the tripper.

It will be appreciated that the lugs on the star wheel, instead of projecting from the side of the wheel, may be mounted on the face of the star wheel, as shown in FIG. 13. In this figure, star Wheel 1023 has a face 127 having thereon radial lugs 10313, 10413 and B and narrow lug 1053, said star wheel functioning precisely in the same manner as star wheel 102. I

Although the star wheel has been described particua larly in connection with a knitting machine, it will, be apparent that this wheel and its associated indexing mechanism may be used on other machines-where changes are effected by stepwise rotation of a shaft. A

It will be appreciated that more than one tripper (not shown) can be used, so that changes can be effected each time the star wheelpasses a different tripper or the same tripper. In either case, the present invention comprehends causing relative movement between a star wheel and tripper means, said trip-per meanscomprising one or more tripper members, so that said star wheel repeatedly passes said tripper means, either by successively passing different tripper members or, by passing a singie tripper member a plurality of times. If, for example, three separate tripper members (not shown) are provided, the star wheel can pass all three in one revolution of the machine to either reset the wheel or to index the wheel.

Although, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the star wheel has four lugs, it is apparent that any number in excess of one can be used. No matter how many-lugs are on the star wheel, the wheel can always positively be reset to its starting position by'moving the wheel past a tripper, or trippers, a number of times once less than the number of lugs to bring the resetting lug, or shorter lug, to its starting position.

Under some circumstances, when it is reasonably certain that the wheel is notout of cycle three steps, less than three passes of the star wheel and tripper may be used for resetting, with reasonable probability of achieving proper resetting.

In the discussion of counter chain 35, high. link 40 caused the pawl to engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel, while low link 41 prevented such engagement. It willbe apparent that the levers could be so modified that a low link would cause the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and a high link would prevent engagement. For example, this can be accomplished by pivoting (not shown) lever 29 between sensing stud 34 and the free end 55 of lever 29.

The present invention has been described in this connection with a rotating cam type of multifeed cylinder machine, but it is apparent that the invention is equally applicable to a rotating-needle, stationary cam type of multifeed circular knitting machine. In the rotating.- needle type of machine, the needle beds are mounted on a structure which may be. considered a turntable. The knitting stations may also be considered as rotatable. The pawl 23 reciprocates once each time a particular predeter mined location on the rotating needle banks passes each knitting cam.

Counter 54 has been described as being fixed to the turntable. It is apparent that counter 54 may be fixed to any other part of the machine (not shown) which rotates with the turntable, e.g., the yarn carrier, whether such part is directly carried by the turntable or merely rotating therewith. A significant aspect of the invention is that the counter 54 rotates with the knitting stations. In the language of the knitter, it may be said that counter 54 rotates with the machine.

Counter 54 has been illustrated as being fixed to the turntable in a position correlated with the last knitting station. It may therefore be said that counter 54 is adjacent the last knitting station, adjacent being used in a sense of timing, rather than actual physical location. Of course, it is apparent that the machine may be so constructed that counter 54 will be physically close by the last knitting station, as well as adjacent thereto. Optionally, it may be positioned adjacent any other station, were it so desired, for particular purposes, and there may also optionally be more than one counter (not shown) when it is desired to have the counter chain always rotate more than one step during a revolution of the machine.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, counter 54 is adjacent the last knitting station so that each time the machine completes a revolution, the counter chain will turn one step. This is preferred, whether the rotation of the knitting stations is caused by rotating the knitting cams as in a rotatingcam type of machine, or by rotating the needles as in a needle-rotating type of machine.

It will be appreciated that the purpose of the counter chain is to prevent the pattern-control chains from being unduly long. There is no reason to have the patterncontrol chains rotate continuously when the machine goes through a cycle wherein the pattern-control chains need not produce any changes.

The present invention has been illustrated in this connection with a drum having thereon a plurality of individual pattern-control chains. Other equivalent structures well known in the art for this purpose can be used.

Vertical branch 48 of lever 43 comprises two sect-ions, a lower section 48A and an upper section 48B, linked together at 48C by providing a generally horizontal slot at the upper end of lower section 48A, through which passes a pin fixed to the lower end of upper section 48B. This linkage permits lower section 48A to move angularly with crook 49 While the upper section 483 does not move angularly. However, this linkage is such that vertical movement of one section will cause corresponding vertical movement of the other section.

Referring to the movement of the star wheel relative to the tripper, it will be apparent that the star wheel may move while the tripper is stationary, as illustrated, or the star wheel may remain stationary while the tripper rotates (not shown).

It is apparent that this invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, and the description is to be interpreted in an illustrative, and not in a limiting, sense.

I claim:

1. In combination, a star wheel mounted for rotation about its axis, a plurality of circumferentially spacedapart lugs on said star wheel, one of said lugs having a first dimension and all of the other of said lugs having a second dimension, there being a plurality of lugs having said second dimension, tripper means for selectively partially rotating said wheel, and means for causing relative movement between said star wheel and said tripper means, so that said star wheel repeatedly passes said tripper means with one of its lugs traversing the tripper means, said tripper means partially rotating said star wheel when said tripper means contacts a traversing lug during said movement, said tripper means having at least two positions, in the first of said positions said tripper means contacting a traversing lug having said first or second dimension and in the second of said positions contacting only an interposed lug having said second dimension.

2. A combinaiton according to claim 1, wherein said tripper means includes a tripper member selectively movable between said positions.

3. A combination according to claim 2, including means for successively moving said star wheel past said tripper in said second position a number of times at least equal to one less than the total number of lugs on said star wheel to automatically reset said star wheel to a predetermined angular position.

4. A combination according to claim 2, wherein said tripper member is also selectively movable to a third position wherein said tripper member is not contacting any traversing lug.

5. A combination according to claim 4, wherein said lugs extend radially relative to the axis of said star wheel.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein said lug having said first dimension is axially shorter than said lugs having said second dimension, and said positions are spaced apart from each other in a direction generally parallel to said axis.

7. A combination according to claim 5, wherein said lug having said first dimension is radially shorter than said lugs having the second dimension, and said positions are spaced apart from each other in a direction generally transverse to said axis.

8. In combination, a star wheel mounted for rotation about its axis, a plurality of circumferentially spacedapart lugs on said star wheel, one of said lugs having a relatively small dimension and all of the other lugs having a greater dimension than said one lug, there being a plurality of lugs having said greater dimension, a tripper member for selectively partially rotating said star wheel, and means for causing relative movement between said star wheel and said tripper member, so that said star wheel repeatedly passes said tripper member with one of its lugs traversing the tripper member, said tripper member partially rotating said star wheel when said tripper member contacts a traversing lug during said movement, said tripper member being movable between three positions, in one of said positions said tripper member contacting any traversing lug, in another of its positions said tripper mem ber contacting only any traversing lug having greater dimension, and in the third position said tripper member not contacting any traversing lug.

9. In a cylinder knitting machine having a plurality of rotating knitting stations, a star wheel at each station, each star wheel being mounted for rotaiton about its axis, the angular postion of said star wheel determining a portion of the operation of the machine, a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart lugs on said star wheel, one of said lugs having a relatively small dimension and all of the other lugs having a greater dimension than said one lug, there being a plurality of lugs having said greater dimensions, a tripper member for selectively partially rotating said wheel, and means for causing relative movement between said star wheel and said tripper member, so that said star wheel repeatedly passes said tripper member with one of its lugs traversing a tripper member, said tripper member partially rotating said star wheel when said tripper member contacts a traversing lug during said movement, said tripper member being movable between three positions, in one of said positions said tripper member contacting any traversing lug, in another of its positions said tripper member contacting only any traversing lug having a greater dimension, and in the third position said tripper member not contacting any traversing lug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,490 1/18 84 Huse 66154 383,817 5/1888 Lamprey et al. 6 6-154 435,394 9/1890 Carr 66154 439,050 10/ 1890 Bugbee 66-154 593,663 11/1897 Huse 66154 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. THOMAS C. PERRY, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A STAR WHEEL MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACEDAPART LUGS ON SAID STAR WHEEL, ONE OF SAID LUGS HAVING A FIRST DIMENSION AND ALL OF THE OTHER OF SAID LUGS HAVING A SECOND DIMENSION, THERE BEING A PLURALITY OF LUGS HAVING SAID SECOND DIMENSION, TRIPPER MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PARTIALLY ROTATING SAID WHEEL, AND MEANS FOR CAUSING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID STAR WHEEL AND SAID TRIPPER MEANS, SO THAT SAID STAR WHEEL REPEATEDLY PASSES SAID TRIPPER MEANS WITH ONE OF ITS LUGS TRAVERSING THE TRIPPER MEANS, SAID TRIPPER MEANS PARTIALLY ROTATING SAID STAR WHEEL WHEN SAID TRIPPER MEANS CONTACTS A TRAVERSING LUG DURING SAID MOVEMENT, SAID TRIPPER MEANS HAVING AT LEAST TWO POSITIONS, IN THE FIRST OF SAID POSITIONS SAID TRIPPER MEANS CONTACTING A TRAVERSING LUG HAVING SAID FIRST OR SECOND DIMENSION AND IN THE SECOND OF SAID POSITIONS CONTACTING ONLY AN INTERPOSED LUG HAVING SAID SECOND DIMENSION. 